Can women change the film industry landscape? Women in leading positions in the U.S. and European independent film industries will discuss female-oriented programs and grants, international co-productions, gender perspectives and the latest trends in independent cinema.

Panelists include:

Jana Diaz-Juhl (Moderator)
Jana Díaz-Juhl has been creating Latino content for over a decade. She is the producer of 10,000KM - SXSW Special Jury Recognition for Best Acting Duo; AFI American Independent Audience Award; Spanish Film Academy New Director Award; and the feature film CRY NOW with Cinético Productions. She is also responsible for the widely distributed video “Know Your Rights” for CHIRLA, an informational and cinematic piece about immigrant rights being used by organizations across the country. Other projects include “El Hielo” for La Santa Cecilia and Aloe Blacc's “Wake Me Up” both directed by Alex Rivera. She is also Director of Operations of the Contemporary Spanish Film Showcase, L.A. OLA, and had the same position at Ambulante California, a free traveling documentary film festival and Jana is currently post producing Carlos Marques-Marcet next film, shot in London at the end of 2016 with Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena and Geraldine Chaplin. She is the happy mother of a one year old and loves cumbia and R&R.

Tilane Jones – Executive Director of ARRAY
Tilane Jones is the Executive Director of ARRAY, a film distribution collaborative focused on filmmakers of color and women. ARRAY has acquired sixteen feature films since 2011 including Ava DuVernay's award winning MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, Andrew Dosunmu's RESTLESS CITY, Storm Saulter's BETTER MUS' COME, Neil Drummings' BIG WORDS, and Haile Gerima's ASHES AND EMBERS. Jones is also Manager of Production for Forward Movement, serving as a producer on all of the company’s visual products. Her film credits include: Ava DuVernay's MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, THIS IS THE LIFE, I WILL FOLLOW, AUGUST 28TH:THE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PEOPLE, SELMA and the Oscar nominated Netflix documentary the 13TH. Acclaimed fashion and beauty films for Prada and Fashion Fair with THE DOOR and SAY YES, respectively. Her television credits include: BET's Black Girls Rock, My Mic Sounds Nice, along with John Legend Interludes Live, Essence Music Festival 2010.

Natalie Qasabian
Natalie graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2014 and has been building her career as an indie film producer since. After graduation she went on to work with producer Jamie Patricof ("Captain Fantastic," "The Place Beyond the Pines") at Electric City Entertainment. In the summer of 2015 she produced a short film, " Join the Club ", directed by Eva Vives, which premiered at Sundance 2016. Natalie is attached to produce the feature film version of the short, "Nina," which has been accepted into the prestigious Sundance Screenwriter's, Director's and Skywalker Sound Lab as well as Producer's Summit. Her feature credits include three Duplass Brothers features: "Rainbow Time," which premiered at SXSW and was subsequently acquired by The Orchard, " Take Me ," which will have its world premiere at Tribeca 2017, and "Duck Butter" directed by Miguel Arteta. Most recently she Executive Produced "Search," a feature-length thriller told entirely on a computer screen for Timur Bekmambetov's ("Wanted," "Unfriended") company, Bazelevs. Natalie is also currently getting an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Giulia Caruso – producer, Nonetheless Productions
Caruso is an LA-based Italian producer and founding member of the independent production company Nonetheless Productions. Giulia won a Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award for Andrew Ahn’s debut feature SPA NIGHT, which premiered at Sundance 2016 and is distributed by Strand Releasing. The latest feature she produced, COLUMBUS (starring John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey) premiered at Sundance 2017 and in the Hivos Tiger Competition at Rotterdam. It will open in theaters on August 4th and is the first recipient of Sundance’s Creative Distribution Fellowship. With Nonetheless, Giulia produced award-winning content for clients such as Focus Features, MTV and GoPro, including the Sundance short film Myrna the Monster, directed by Ian Samuels, and the docu-series We've Been Around , directed by Rhys Ernst. Giulia is an alum of Sundance Creative Producing Summit, Film Independent Project Involve and the Berlinale Talent Campus. She holds an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts.

Christine Davila – Creative Executive at Stage13
Christine Davila is currently working as a Scripted Creative Executive at Stage13 , a digital content company developing and producing short form series, under the Warner Brothers Television Group’s Digital Networks division. In 2013 she established the nonprofit, Ambulante California, a traveling documentary film festival originated in Mexico by Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes. She has over ten years of experience in film programming and curating at various top-notch festivals like Sundance Film Festival, where she has been a Programming Associate since 2008. Davila is also a Programmer of the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam, where she selects films for the Yellow Robin Award Competition, a section focused on discovering and supporting emerging Caribbean filmmakers. She tracks Latino films and the festival scene on her blog chicanafromchicago.com .